Government confirms NCP offered mediation in unions' complaint against McDonald's UK

The government has confirmed that the UK National Contact Point offered mediation to McDonald’s Restaurants UK in a unions’ complaint, a reply tied to a written parliamentary question from Rebecca Long‑Bailey on 2 March 2026. Long‑Bailey, the Labour MP for Salford, asked the Secretary of State for Business and Trade what steps he had taken to encourage McDonald’s to accept the UK NCP’s offer of mediation.

The confirmation arrived against the backdrop of a wider government push on mediation for low‑value civil disputes. In a Gov.UK statement the department said, "In this response, the Government confirms our intention to integrate mediation as an essential part of the court process for lower value civil claims, as set out in our consultation on Increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system." The document adds, "I am pleased to confirm the Government’s intention to fully integrate mediation into the court process for civil claims valued up to £10,000."

The government text sets out targets and mechanisms that could shape how corporate disputes are handled. Officials stated they "will aim to make mediation an essential step for all claims for specific amounts of money, which make up 80% of small claims, during this Parliament," and that the scheme will build on the Small Claims Mediation Service, "run by HM Courts and Tribunals Service – a service that is free for all, and which already helps more than half of the people who come through its doors to reach a resolution within weeks of starting their case." The statement also said, "We will announce the implementation details and timings in the coming months."

Professional bodies have framed the policy more strongly and flagged operational concerns. The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators said, "The UK Government has today announced plans to introduce mandatory mediation for lower value disputes in England and Wales." CIArb described the model as one where, "it will be compulsory for claims under £10,000 to be referred to a free 1-hour mediation session conducted by a mediator from HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS)," and noted that, "Parties will not be able to opt out of the mediation simply on the basis that they don’t want to take part." CIArb added a projected scale for the reforms, stating that "the government claims that this reform could help more than 272,000 people each year to settle their disputes outside court."

CIArb’s commentary also warned of practical barriers for a rapid rollout, saying, "free 1-hour telephone sessions must not be confused with the kind of wide-ranging reforms that are necessary if the potential of mediation is to be fully realised across the justice system," and stressing "the importance of using highly trained and properly funded mediation professionals" as well as concerns about "capacity, service quality, and ‘fit’ between the dispute and the type" of mediation offered.

The parliamentary exchange underscores immediate questions for McDonald’s UK, the unions involved, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service: whether McDonald’s will accept the UK NCP offer, which unions lodged the complaint, and how the government will translate its "intention" and timetable into binding procedures. With ministers promising implementation details in the coming months, the outcome will determine whether mediation becomes a routine route for disputes involving major employers such as McDonald’s and how swiftly workers’ cases are steered out of formal court processes.